Brisket: mission impossible


 

Efrem Pozzati

New member
Hi guys, I have to cook for friday evening a brisket (about 9-10 pounds).
Usually this will cause me no problem at all, but this time I have additional challenges to face:

- It will cook unattended for the majority of the time (I'll be at work during the day: 8am-6pm)
- I have to sync the foiling stage with my lunch break (1-1:45pm)
- I have to rest it as soon as 6:20 pm to be ready for dinner (8:30 pm)

I have a pit/beef controller so I can chek/control via internet: check the meat and keeping/adjusting the smoker temperature will not be an issue.

Based on your experience, what time I have to start cooking? (It's not a problem for me to start in the middle of the night, if needed).
What pit temp will give me best control of the situation: 225 or 250?

Thanks in advance for the suggestions!
 
I have found than roughly an hour per pound works pretty well as a guide. With your ability to adjust “on the fly” you should have little concern, brisket is pretty forgiving, a half hour either way won’t be a problem. I’d start about 7:30-8:00
Others will offer more experienced comment I am certain.
Good luck and happy cooking!
 
No need to foil if you don't want. I don't foil anymore until the resting stage. 225 for 10-12 hours until approximately 205* and probe tender but its done at probe tender no matter what temp. Take it off and let it rest for 10-15 min then foil and wrap in towel and then leave it in oven or cooler for minimum 2hours and preferably 4. Maybe set it up so it's done at your lunch break and ready to slice on time.
 
I agree with the long rest, although I've gotten away with a 90 minute rest successfully. 4 hours certainly does work, and with a well insulated cooler, will still be almost too hot to handle.
 
Maybe set it up so it's done at your lunch break and ready to slice on time.

This is an intresting option, but the risk is to have it not done at lunch time. In any case this means to let it rest for 5 to 6 hours: isn’t it too much? Do I have to re-warm before slicing?
 
Long rests usually do a brisket good, but if you're looking at wrapping and holding at around 1:30, that's 5 hours until you get home. If you have a really good insulated cooler with plenty of towels to wrap, that should work out. For a 9-pounder, I would figure 12 hours, but it could take longer. I would probably roll the dice and put it on around midnight and plan to take it off by 1:00. You can check it at 6:20 when you get home from work and put it in the oven to heat it up if need be. Around 150 is a good serving temp. By the time you handle it and slice it, it should still be over 140.

Jeff
 
I don’t foil either until removal, is one less time for the temps to go sideways, I think the last one I did I had rest about two hours foiled and towelled still too hot to handle when I did start slicing! It will be fine.
 
On the other hand, You are having to hope the brisket is done right in that window. I think it's easier to sync the foiling with when you get home for lunch than to try to make sure it's done then. I agree with the long rest as well, but I just have a hard time believing you can get it done in that 45 minute window span. Can you shut down the cooker with the controller or at least lower the temp pretty low? That might be easier to do if you are somehow done too earlier before dinner.
 
Can you shut down the cooker with the controller or at least lower the temp pretty low? That might be easier to do if you are somehow done too earlier before dinner.

Sort of: my controller can switch on/off the fan used to provide air to the coal chamber.
All the bottom vents are closed (I modified the floor to have a tube going into the base, leaving the fan only for supplying the air), but the top one is still open.
I suppose to be able to manage a sort-of resting temp (160-170).
May be a simple refill of the waterpan will help to prevent the brisket to become dry before the "real" rest at 6pm.
 
I think Dustin has a very good idea! He also walked me through my first brisket ever and I thank him every time I do one.
Please let us know how this all plays out, I’m considering a controller but, I’m cheeeeeap!
 
I think if you are able to get a resting temp of 160 to 170 you should be fine. You might set it to that a little before you might considered it done because there's no way to stop the carry-over cooking. You might roll the dice and try to shift it to 170 if you see you've hit 190 to 195 early. It sounds like an interesting cook!
 
Based of your suggestions this is my plan:
  • Start smoking at 5:00 am at 225F (it's little bit more than 10 pounds, I'll put it almost cold on the smoker to increse the smoke ring).
  • Foil at 1:00pm
  • Check the temp from the office: if hit 190-195 too early I'll set the smoker to run 160F
  • If ready, start resting in the cooler from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
  • Slice, eat, drink beers :)

Thanks for the advices, I'll let you know the final result :)
 
The brisket was good, really good.
After the foiling stage, I lost the connection to the controller: the Raspberry PI I use to connect to it died around 3pm, probably due overheating, but the controller was alive and keep the WSM at the right target.
At 6.30 PM the Brisket was 200F, just in time to put on the cooler.
It was very tender (too much maybe, in fact I had issue to keep slices togheter) and wet.

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By wet do you mean juicy? Dry and tough is underdone, juicy and tender is perfect, dry and crumbly is overdone. Should be able to pull a slice apart easily with your fingers.
 

 

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